Kukla's Korner Hockey

Skating straight ahead, Steven Stamkos is all good. Doing plyometrics in the gym and taking force on his right leg as it hits the ground? Not a problem.

It is when the Lightning's star center tries crossover skating or accelerating from a stop that he feels the most discomfort in the leg broken Nov. 11 at Boston.

"It's the torquing, when all the weight is on that leg and you're turning, that's the stuff that bothers me most," Stamkos said Monday after joining teammates on the ice at the end of the morning skate. "It's anytime there's a pass that's a little bit in front and you have to make that sudden movement. I'm not at a point where I'm 100 percent comfortable with that right now."

Even so, he said, "Each time I've been on the ice, for the most part, I've felt better each time."